The grass is always Green(hills) on the other side of the fence

What is Manila's best kept open secret? Why Greenhills of course!

I just felt I had to write about Greenhills, my source of abercrombie & fitch and american eagle tank tops, South Sea pearls, cheap winter stuff (think thick scarves and colorful gloves and ski caps for Php150 each!), thigh high socks (as if I wear them, but hey, its nice to have just in case a costume party comes up haha) and all those Filipiniana/Asian stuff and kitschy items that are super fun giveaways.

The place and the community surrounding it has really has evolved through the years. I remember being in grade school and going to Greenhills for my Tretorn fix (when the only destination worth going for was Gift Gate, Dingdong, Tickles and Unimart... oh! oh! and the px stuff!!!) I was too young to be hanging out there with my friends but I remember it was the 80's and I knew for a fact that the older kids went there for drag racing, hanging out at Creekside(?) and bowling in Greenlanes. Hmmmm, I can still imagine the teenage kids in their polo tees, sperry topsiders and baston jeans...

During the early 1990's, I was in high school and Annapolis Street was known for its bars and nightspots such as that place that burned down, where Side A used to play a lot? I forget. My classmate and friend, Patricia, used to live in one of the condos on that street and my mom and I would sometimes bring her home. I thought it was so cool to live there! A few buildings down was the Toch Arellano photography studio (its still there) where my friends and I had our high school grad pictures taken! I can still see us walking down that road to cross to the shopping center after the shoot. I was in a long sleeved top, Girbaud jeans and Esprit loafers thinking I looked so cool! Then a classmate asked me to carry (yes carry not hold) her humongous cellphone and we thought we were pretty hip! Hahaha!

During the late 1990's, I didn't go there much, preferring to go to Robinson's Galleria, Megamall and Shangri-la instead. I pretty much shopped in that area until my mom and her friends discovered the South Sea pearls that would make you think twice about going to Jewelmer again. After that, we were hooked and just kept coming back for the cheap retail fix. Pretty soon, the place just attracted crowds of people from outside the community and Greenhills has never been the same again.

Though the place may have lost some of its community/town center charm, especially for those who lived in the area all their lives and remember Greenhills Shopping Center as the sort of place where they could spot a visitor from a sea of familiar faces; it has never lost its "find a bargain" appeal. Thanks to the tiangges and the little boutiques that dot the mall, anyone can go to Greenhills and be secure in the thought that they will go home with a really great find without busting their budget.